Hurt Comfort Friendship
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol has a bad day.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Hurt Comfort Friendship**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **It had been a bad day for the men of the Rat Patrol. They had taken a beating by one of Captain Dietrich's patrols. Both drivers were injured. Hitch took a bullet in his right side and Tully had shrapnel wounds in his left leg and arm.**

 **They finally managed to get away from the German patrol and took cover in a wadi. Moffitt was helping Tully out of the jeep and they saw Troy assisting Hitch, who then collapsed into the sergeant's arms.**

 **Tully leaned on the jeep and said, "Go help sarge with Hitch. I'm okay."**

 **Moffitt looked at his driver worriedly. "Let's just get you down first." He helped the private sit down in the shade of the jeep where he could lean back on a wheel. Then Moffitt hurried to Troy and Hitch. "How bad is it?"**

 **Troy had laid the young private down and was opening his shirt. "Bullet in the side." He pressed his hands over the wound. "How's Tully?"**

" **Shrapnel in his arm and leg. I haven't had a chance to check him out yet."**

" **Get me a med kit and then go back and take care of Tully. If I need help here, I'll give you a yell."**

 **After leaving a med kit with Troy, Moffitt returned to where Tully was struggling to get his left arm out of his long-sleeved shirt. He knelt to help him as Tully asked, "How bad is Hitch?"**

 **Moffitt said, "He's got a bullet in his side."**

 **Tully was watching Troy with Hitch. "Can you get it out?"**

" **Once the bleeding's under control, we'll take a look. Right now I want to take care of you."**

 **Moffitt was pulling bits of metal out of Tully's arm with tweezers when Troy called him over. The sergeant looked at the pained expression on Tully's face and said, "Just rest. I'm going to check on Hitch."**

 **Tully nodded and leaned his head back on the tire with a sigh.**

 **Moffitt knelt next to Troy. "How's he doing?"**

 **Troy sighed. "Bleeding's stopped, but he's lost more than I'd like. Do you think you can get the bullet out?"**

 **Moffitt examined the wound in Hitch's side carefully. "Yes, I believe I can. However, I would prefer he get some blood first."**

 **Tully called over, "Hey, stop whisperin' and tell me what's goin' on!"**

 **Troy stood up and went to Tully. He knelt down and said, "Moffitt's going to take the bullet out of Hitch's side, but he needs a blood transfusion."**

" **Well, get me over there then. Hitch and I have the same blood type."**

" **I don't think that's a good idea. I'll do it."**

 **Moffitt appeared next to them, "I'm afraid that won't work, Troy."**

 **Troy stood up. "But I thought type O blood was universal?"**

" **It's a universal 'donor.' Type O can be given to anyone, but type O must receive type O. I believe you're A+ and I'm B-."**

 **Troy frowned and looked down at Tully. "You sure you're up for it?"**

 **Tully held out his right arm so they could help him up. "I'm sure. Just get me over there so we can get started."**

 **#################################**

 **Tully was laying on a blanket next to Hitch. Blood ran through surgical tubing from Tully's right arm into Hitch's left. Moffitt had started the task of removing the bullet while Troy continued where Moffitt had left off with Tully's wounds.**

 **After Troy had finished with Tully's arm, he cleaned it, applied sulfa, and then bandaged it. He looked at the private's pale face. "How's it going, Tully?"**

" **It's goin', sarge. How's Hitch doing?"**

 **Troy smiled slightly as he moved to start on Tully's leg. "Actually, he's got more color than you do at the moment." The private tried to smile, but it turned into a hiss of pain as Troy tore open his pant leg. "Hang on. There's a big piece here just above your knee. Probably going to need stitches for this one."**

 **By the time the blood transfusion was completed and Troy and Moffitt were finished cleaning, stitching, and bandaging the two privates, Tully had passed out. Both privates were given morphine.**

 **As they covered the two wounded men with blankets, Moffitt said, "We should call for an ambulance. I don't want either of them bouncing around in the jeeps."**

 **Troy agreed and looked at the sky. "It'll be dark soon. I'll make the call, but an ambulance won't come until morning."**

 **#################################**

 **Late that night, just after Troy relieved Moffitt on watch, Tully came awake with a start and groaned. He looked around the darkened campsite and wondered absently when he'd fallen asleep. He looked at the low fire that burned nearby. Then Tully remembered Hitch and shifted carefully to sit up.**

 **A bout of dizziness made his ears ring for a moment. When his head cleared Tully painfully scooted the few inches to where Hitch lay. He put a shaky hand to his friend's forehead. Hitch was warm, but not feverish.**

 **Moffitt knelt down and smiled. "He's going to be all right, Tully. You both will be." He handed the private a steaming mug of soup. "Eat this. You'll feel better."**

 **Tully took the soup gratefully. "Shouldn't he be awake by now too?"**

" **He's weak. The morphine is keeping him asleep. How are you feeling?"**

 **Tully sipped the soup, then sighed. "I'll admit I'm not feeling too good right now. My arm and leg hurt, and my head feels like mush."**

 **Moffitt smiled a little. "I'm not surprised. You work on that soup while I go get a dose of morphine for you."**

 **While the sergeant went to the jeep, Tully ate as he watched Hitch. Even in the dark he could see his friend's chest rise and fall with each breath.**

 **Moffitt returned and injected the drug into Tully's uninjured arm. Moffitt sat down next to him and silently kept him company.**

 **Soon enough the soup was gone and Moffitt could see that the morphine had kicked in. He took the mug and set it aside. "Okay, it's time we both got some rest." Tully remained silent as he allowed the sergeant to help him lay down. "An ambulance will be here bright and early to take you and Hitch to a field hospital."**

 **Moffitt spread the blanket over Tully and watched as the young man closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. He then went to the jeep to get his bedroll. When he returned, Moffitt checked both Hitch and Tully one last time before getting under his own blanket.**

 **#################################**

 **Morning came and the ambulance arrived just after sun up. Hitch had awakened a couple of hours earlier and was worried that Tully wasn't. When Troy went to make sure his two men were ready to go, Hitch asked, "Why isn't he awake?"**

 **Troy said, "Morphine. Moffitt gave him a dose just before you woke up. He'll probably be awake before we get to the field hospital."**

 **Moffitt appeared with a dose of morphine for Hitch, who said, "I'm okay. I don't need it right now."**

 **Moffitt smiled as he injected the private and said, "You say that now, but wait until we've been on the road for an hour. The ambulance is better than the jeep, however, this is North Africa and the roads are not very smooth."**

 **An hour and a half later they were at the field hospital. Hitch and Tully were both awake as they were moved into medical. They were checked out and moved to cots in the hospital tent. Both were now sleeping comfortably.**

 **Sergeants Troy and Moffitt sat between the cots keeping watch over their men as they played a quiet game of matchstick poker and listened to Hitch and Tully's soft snores.**


End file.
